Thanksgiving is a holiday that is all about digging into a delicious feast with your family while giving thanks for all that you have in your life. There are a lot of foods that you can prepare and enjoy with your loved ones for this special occasion, but beware of the calories in Thanksgiving sides that may appear innocent. These are foods that you should limit your consumption of if you want to stay on track with your diet, so keep reading to learn more.
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Canned cranberry sauce is really convenient because it is so fast and easy to just put it on a dish and let everyone enjoy it. But canned cranberries won’t have the same antioxidant content that fresh cranberries will have, and canned products will be packed with preservatives and sugar, as well as calories. There can be more than 100 calories in canned cranberry, compared with under 50 calories in fresh cranberries. So when it comes to calories in Thanksgiving sides, it’s a good idea to make your own fresh cranberry sauce.
Stuffing
Thanksgiving stuffing that is made from bread could have more than 300 calories in just a couple of large spoonfuls, or about one cup. And if you are preparing your stuffing from a box, you are consuming a lot of unhealthy ingredients too. Therefore, it is best to prepare the stuffing yourself to limit the amount of calories in Thanksgiving sides that you will be serving. To reduce the amount of calories in your stuffing, you can use rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs or you can use high protein quinoa instead.
Mashed Potatoes
Who can resist warm mashed potatoes that are topped with butter or gravy? But beware, as this side dish could have more than 200 calories in just one cup. To make this side dish healthier, don’t add gravy or extra butter or margarine to the potatoes. You can also use a plant-based butter, which will have about 80 calories in a tablespoon, as opposed to regular dairy butter that contains 102 calories in a tablespoon.
As you can see, there are a few Thanksgiving side dishes that, despite their popularity, aren’t really all that good for your health or your diet because they are high in calories. If you want to stay on your weight loss track, make sure to use healthier alternatives that will deliver just as much flavor with more nutrients.